This application claims benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-264987 filed on Sep. 11, 2002, the contents of which are incorporated by the reference.
The present invention relates to a wireless LAN utilizability detecting system and a wireless LAN utilizability detecting method capable of automatic decision as to whether the user is in an area, in which such a wireless LAN service as so-called hot spot service or the like is provided.
The so-called “hot spot service” has been becoming an actually used service, which provides internet connection or contents services in particular places such as hotels, coffee shops and fast food shops. This service means such services in very limited areas as provision of internet connection by a wireless technique which is called local wireless interface such as wireless LAN and bluetooth.
With the spread of hot spots in such wireless LAN, social need for the provision of clear indication of data that the wireless LAN can be utilized, has been particularly increasing. However, even in fast food chain shops belonging to the same shop group, those providing the hot spot service are limited. Also, it may happen that the user buss by a shop or the like, which is providing this type of hot spot service, without noticing this fact.
While it has hitherto been proposed that when a wired telephone call is received, the power supply of the telephone set is automatically turned on based on the call reception signal, with mere response to the sending of a particular call from the opposite side it is impossible to cope with the above status that the user can not become aware of a hot spot. The above prior art proposal is not based on a preamble that a hot spot or like environment arises, and therefore the above technical problems are not considered (see, for instance, Japanese Utility Model laid open No. Hei 3-130650 and Japanese Patent laid open No. Shou 62-31240.
It has also been proposed to assemble a TV tuner circuit with an urgent broadcast receiving function in a personal computer such that, when it receives an urgent broadcast, the TV tuner circuit provides an output to cause the personal computer to be started to watch the urgent TV broadcast of the TV (see, for instance, Japanese Patent laid open No. Hei 11-5366)
Furthermore, recently proposed have been a card type mounted in a personal computer and including a setting means which receives from a host computer setting data necessary for network setting to connect the personal computer to a local area network to the host therein and performs the network setting by using the setting data (see, for instance, Japanese Patent laid open No. 2001-325166).
However, according to none of the above prior art proposals, it can be directly expected to provide improved convenience that a person, who desires to utilize a wireless LAN hot spot service, can recognizes without possibility of missing that the service is provided.